ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
加
to add
jiā
5 strokes · 力 (strength) + 口 (mouth) · HSK 3
Where 加 comes from
Strength 力 plus a mouth 口 — piling words of praise (or exaggeration) onto someone. From heaping words to heaping anything: add, increase, plus.
加 in Chinese culture
加油! 'Add oil!' — China's universal cheer, now in the OED. 参加 participate, 加班 work overtime (adding shifts), 加拿大 Canada. Math class: 一加一等于二.
Example
加油 jiāyóu — go for it! (add oil)
明天考试，加油！
Míngtiān kǎoshì, jiāyóu!
Exam tomorrow — you've got this!
How to remember it
STRENGTH + a MOUTH cheering — ADD more, 加油!
加油 began at gas stations and race tracks; in 2018 'add oil' officially entered the Oxford English Dictionary.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 加
加油 jiāyóu
go for it!
参加 cānjiā
to participate
Related characters
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